AC DAILY
Thursday, June 6, 2024
KEARNEY -- Noting the “energy and excitement in the room,” Bishop David Wilson opened the 10th Great Plains Annual Conference on Thursday at Younes Conference Center North.
Bishop Wilson, who last month became the first Native American episcopal leader to chair a General Conference session, said he preferred to lead the Great Plains sessions because he was “comfortable here, where people appreciate me and love me.”
“They know what they’re getting,” he added with a grin.
Rev. Maria Campbell, chair of the episcopacy committee, introduced Bishop Wilson for his episcopal address, saying he was “well-regarded, authentic and compassionate.”
“He has built a connection and consensus,” Campbell said. “Bishop Wilson is a great fit for the Great Plains.”
Opening sermon
A 15-year veteran runner, Bishop Wilson compared races to following Christ in his opening sermon.
“When I first began to do races, I would try to prepare, and often I realized I was not prepared. I would start out too fast, thinking I could handle the pace and wore our early. I would start in ‘fits and starts,’” he said. “Excited, energized, but not realistic.”
Runners like himself, the bishop said, rely on not only competition but the support of those along the race route.
“That lonely and long road — those are roads we have all been on — some of us for a short while, some for a long while and some of us are still there,” he said. “But what a difference it can make for one, when we travel that road together, supporting and loving one another in Christian love. Even if we are walking or running that road in pain, joy, hope, love, we are on it together.”
The scriptural theme for the bishop’s sermon and for this year’s annual conference is Ephesians 4:1-6, which in some translations includes the phrase “I want you to get out there and walk — better yet, run! — on the road God called you to travel.”
“We have done great work together as an annual conference this year; we have been on some several turbulent journeys and God has seen us through all of this,” Bishop Wilson said. “There will be more, but as we stick together, using the various roads throughout our lives, we can do it together.”
Episcopal address
The bishop also used Ephesians 4:1-6 as the basis for his episcopal address, reflecting on his first full year as the Great Plains episcopal leader and traveling the length and breadth of Nebraska and Kansas.
“I recognize the diversity of this conference. I have seen how we work together for our common cause, to be about the gospel of Jesus Christ in what we preach and teach, but more importantly, how we live
our lives,” he said. “This should be our continued work in years to come, recognizing our differences, but understanding our common work.”
The bishop highlighted good works in the conference during the past year, including the church in Atwood, Kansas, which opened its doors to the local high school after arson destroyed the building; Callaway, Nebraska, where new leaders stepped up after former leaders left the church; and Hays, Kansas, where a college campus ministry became the home of a growing Hispanic ministry.
“As I think of our celebration of 10 years, I can recall the days of the three conferences who were smaller and often were second to other conferences,” he said. “Today, you are the largest conference in the South Central Jurisdiction, not just in numbers and finances, but I will add, ‘with heart.’ This conference provides great leadership to the jurisdiction and to the UMC. And people see that.”
Laity address
Conference lay leader Lisa Maupin praised the laity of the Great Plains Conference for demonstrating excellence every day, not if they were, in the words of the conference theme, “Ready for the Journey.”
“You demonstrate every day that you are,” she said. “You demonstrate every day that you love your communities, your church and God.”
Maupin talked about the differences between faith and certainty, and the courageous leaders who live in the former and not in the latter.
“We are called to be leaders who are not just showing up and being seen by others but who see people with their eyes, with their heart and within their actions,” she said.
The laity of the conference, Maupin said, proved its resiliency after several years of challenges, many of which ended at this year’s General Conference.
“We grieve. We celebrate. We are questioning. We are discerning. We have joy. We carry pain. We have hope. We are challenged,” she said. “And in that all I move forward in faith that we can build something beautiful from this space we are in.”
Youth address
Emma Yeon and Char Pyle gave the attendees a crash course in Gen-Z speak during their address, teaching the phrase “They ate it up!” – i.e., did it all – including Bishop Wilson, executive director Scott Brewer, Maupin and parliamentarian Jesi Lipp during the youth address.
They also introduced the prevailing attitude of their generation about life: “It is what it is,” to describe church efforts post-COVID.
“No matter what amazing events churches hosted, the churches that typically got a bigger crowd were churches that friends attended or were built on a strong foundation,” Yeon said. “A strong foundation for a church specifies caring for the individuals already present in the church before trying to expand but also not focusing solely on one aspect. We cannot just be focused on children’s ministry and building up
the future of the church without focusing on also growing youth ministry and the overall church’s ministry as well.”
Pyle said the conference members should adopt the Gen-Z mindset.
“Look at things with a positive outlook. Don’t overthink things too much, just do it for the plot,” Pyle said. “Know that in whatever you do, you’ll eat it up.”
Laity session
Current and former General Conference delegates – Randall Hodgkinson, Lipp, Oliver Green, Esther Hay, Keith Olson and Shayla Jordan – discussed why they became and stayed United Methodist and what hope they had for the future in a panel discussion.
Maupin, leading the group, also revived a question Hodgkinson asked Bishop Wilson during last year’s session – what your “walk-up music” would be.
Laity also got to meet some of the candidates for the five laity openings that will be voted upon Friday morning during the plenary session: Mary Brooks, Liz Collins, Ben Jones, Jim Oliver, Pyle and Carol Trimble, as well as Jay Baker and Carly Redding.
Commemoration and baptism
The ministries of 41 pastors, 28 clergy spouses, as well as one clergy child, a Nebraska Conference treasurer and a Nebraska lay leader were remembered during the memorial service.
Clergy: Rev. Rex Bevins, Rev. James Bush, Victor Calcote, Judith Castor, Rev. Harold Cooper, Marvis Doering, Laurence Falk, Rev. William Fillingim, Rev. Phyllis Garrett, Rev. Jean Marie Grabher, Rev. Charles Grant, Rev. Earl Haggard, Rev. Kenneth Hathaway, Rev. Leon Hayen, Glenn Hubbard, Rev. Teresa “Tess” Hufford, Rick Jones, Jack Kersenbrock, Roger Kronholm, Chris Lehew, Harry Liggett, Rev. Loren Marler, Rev. David Masten, Bob McNabb, Rev. Larry Moffet, Rev. Hughes Morris Jr., Rev. Don Noble, Barbara Sue Patterson Davis, Rev. Paul Allen Quackenbush, Robin Reeves Jr., Gerry ReQua, Kathy Rice, Rev. Dr. Randall Sailors, Rev. Gordon Smith, Larry St. John, Rev. John Stoneking, Rev. Dr. Warren Swartz, Norma Thompson, Rev. Dr. Jerry Vogt, Timothy Young, Rev. Donald Zook.
Spouses: Gudrun Adell, Ann Appleton, Michael Aspegren, May Ann Bede, Diane Cruit, Lanelle Davis, Ruth Dickinson, Mavis Doering, Joy Findley, Toni Gabel, Paula Haggard, Marlene Harris, Aleta Hastings, Lola Hunter, Doris Hurtig, Jon Judd Sr., Ione Marshall, Reubelou Meyrick, Venus Miguel, Doris Miller, Jane Mitchell, Pat Moores, Etta Mae Mutti, Marlys Richardson, Rose Simmons, Nedra Starkey, Sharon Thompson, Mary Ann Trickle.
Children: Arielle Kingwood.
Conference staff: Robin Kilgore.
Conference lay leader: Lavina Schwaninger.
Three baptisms of clergy children were also celebrated. Ryan Banseok Lee and Chloe Yerin Lee, children of Kyuwook Lee and Ji Syun Lee; and Teo You, son of Seungli You and YJ Lee, were given the sacraments by Bishop Wilson and Rev. Jenny Collins, dean of the cabinet.
Friday’s schedule
8:30 - 9:00 am Morning Devotion
9:00 – 10:20 am · First Laity Ballot/GC Delegation Report
10:20 - 10:30 am · Break
10:35 - 12:00 pm GC Delegation Q&A Reports: · Lydia Patterson · Personnel · CFA · Budget Introduction KS & NE Foundations
12:00 - 1:30 pm Lunch Break · Non-Program Lunch · Women In Faith Lunch · Hispanic Ministry Lunch
1:30 - 3:15 pm Reports: · Church Anniversaries · BMCR · GBHEM · BOOM & Historic Questions · Pension & Health Benefits · Retiree Recognition
3:20 - 3:30 pm · Break
3:35 - 4:15 pm Breakout Sessions #1
4:20 - 4:30 pm Transition Break
4:35 - 5:15 pm Breakout Sessions #2
5:30 - 8:30 pm Retiree Dinner & Celebration
